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Saving you money without sacrificing the look of your event is the drive behind the Stems D.I.Y. service option. The most difficult part of any event is the planning and logistics leading up to the event and with our D.I.Y. service we do all of that for you. Executing the event with the proper preplanning already done is a piece of cake and anyone can do it & do it well.
Stems Inc. approaches its D.I.Y. clients the very same way we approach our Couture and Ready 2 Wear clients, the only difference is three days before the event you roll up your sleeves and we don't. That's how you save the money.
All non-perishable items for your event are ordered and in your possession 4 to 6 weeks prior to the event. All perishable materials are also ordered 4 to 6 weeks prior to your event but are not shipped until the week of your event. This helps us to secure the proper wholesale pricing for all products and in the event that anything arrives damaged or is deemed unnecessary we have plenty of time to rectify the issues.
The number one concern D.I.Y. clients have relates to how they need to manage their time the week of the event...it's very simple. All prep work can be done the weekend before the event. Prep work includes loading candles in votive holders, cutting floral foam or making chicken wire cages for all of the vessels that will be used, cutting ribbon for personal flowers or napkin treatments, assembling favor or welcome bags, creating table numbers and or name cards etc.
When your flowers arrive the week of your event or wedding they need to be unpacked, cut and placed in tepid water. Flowers don't like coolers so not having one is not an issue...Stems Inc. has never owned or used a flower cooler in it's 13 years! Flowers, like people or animals, like a cool and relatively dry place. Stems Inc. keeps its studio at a comfortable 68 degrees and we do that by using a normally sized air conditioning unit. Flowers actually develop and open far better in this type of atmosphere. Flowers should be allowed to "drink" for the remainder of the day and night and the following morning work can begin. All floral arrangements are constructed using a recipe, just like a cake. This is predetermined several weeks prior to your event so you will know exactly which pieces get which flowers and how many of each variety. The D.I.Y. service also includes a photo of the finished piece(s).
The first arrangement is always the most difficult to complete but once that's done the rest will flow like water.
If you're planning a wedding your time table will vary slightly from the one dictated if you're having an event. Brides do not want to be engrossed in flowers the day of their wedding! That's what friends and family are for. All floral arrangements are completed the Thursday before a Saturday wedding and all personal flowers; bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, ring bearer and flower girl accessories are constructed the day before the wedding. Each piece is securely placed in water if necessary and will remain in water until the moment they are dried and wrapped with ribbon the day of the event. Wrapping a bouquet with ribbon takes approximately 5 minutes to complete!
All wedding elements need to be completed 3 hours before the ceremony start time. Bouquets (placed in specifically constructed bouquet "boxes") are handed out, boutonnieres, corsages and all other wedding participant flowers are distributed. The ceremony set up is completed and the centerpieces are placed on the reception tables by whomever has been delegated the task or you can leave it to the caterer and their crew to accomplish on their own. For more involved table settings we offer a D.I.Y. floor and table top decor plan that has been designed specifically for you. This plan can begin forming soon after you have your venue chosen and an idea of the approximate guest count. Floor and Decor plans are a work in progress and are generally finalized a week or two prior to the event. That leaves you with ample time to discuss with your caterer and/or venue what your expectations are and it also alleviates any questions that may arise during the set up of elements that have been delegated to others...the person in charge can simply refer all staff to the pre determined plans.
D.I.Y. may not have been an option for you initially but it's something to seriously consider. 90% of all the required work is done ahead of time...the last three days before the event are busy and fun especially when surrounded by eager family and friends.